There have been many attempts to improve on the iron sights commonly found on Kalashnikov or AK-type rifles (AK-47, AKM, AK-74, Galil, Tan Tal, Saiga, etc.). When the AK-47 was first introduced more than 75 years ago, optical gun sights (e.g., telescopic sights) were uncommon and expensive. In the modern era, the mounting of optical gun sights (e.g., reflex sights and/or telescopic sights) on both sporting and martial variants of the Kalashnikov is ubiquitous.
However, all of the available optical gun sight mounting options for the AK suffer from various shortcomings. Most of the optical gun sight mounts available are unable to hold the optic in the same place over time, resulting in the point of aim drifting significantly from the point of impact. Many of the optical gun sight mounts are heavy, often adding significant weight near the forend of the rifle thereby making the additional weight feel heavier than it is through leverage. Very few of the available optical gun sight mounts are available on off-the-shelf rifles, forcing the owner to procure and install an expensive part in order to facilitate the mounting of an optical gun sight on the rifle.
One optical gun sight (or optic) mounting solution is the UltiMAK rail (U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,895). It is an aftermarket replacement for an AK-type rifles gas tube which shields the piston that cycles the action upon firing. It is relatively light, securely mounts to the barrel (thereby holding the optic securely in place), and provides a MIL-STD-1913 rail (also known as the Picatinny rail). Once mounted, it's a simple matter to attach an optic thereon and, with other expensive mounting brackets, a flashlight.
However, the UltiMAK rail has several disadvantages. First, if you want to remove the lower hand guard, you have to remove the UltiMAK rail thereby removing the reference that the optical gun sight was previously calibrated to. It is then necessary to re-calibrate the optical gun sight to the rifle (called re-zeroing). Second, the location of the UltiMAK rail, being positioned over the barrel near the gas block, is a significant disadvantage if the optical gun sight mounted thereon has any appreciable mass. This is because the rifle acts as a lever, pulling down on the users arms with more force the farther the optical gun sight is away from the rear of the rifle. Third, the UltiMAK rail sits very low on the rifle making it possible to see both the iron sights and the reticule of the optical gun sight in one sight picture (also known as co-witnessing). By co-witnessing the two sights, the iron sights of the host rifle obstruct the operator's field of view through the lower half of the optic. This could result in the operator making an incorrect shoot or no-shoot decision. Therefore, it could be argued that positioning an optical gun sight on a rifle so that the field of view therethrough is unobstructed is a better option in a dynamic shooting environment. Fourth, securing a flashlight to the UltiMAK is expensive and requires the purchase of an additional bracket. When secured to the rifle, the flashlight makes the rifle heavier than is necessary due to its forward location on the rifle.
It is generally agreed upon in today's martial gun handling schools that a fighting rifle should have both an optic (e.g., reflex type sight and/or telescopic sight) and a flashlight mounted on it. The use of an optic has been shown to decrease target acquisition time and the flashlight is essential for distinguishing threats (e.g., a burglar) from innocent bystanders (e.g., family members) in low light conditions (e.g., in a dark house).
Therefore, there is a persistent need in the market for a rugged, simple, and inexpensive mount that can be used to securely attach an optic and/or flashlight to an AK-type rifle in an ergonomic position.